Clothes hanger retaining device

ABSTRACT

Two gripping members, fabricated out of flexible, expandable, resiliently biased material, are provided. Each gripping member has a longitudinally extending opening therethrough. The gripping members are independently attached to the neck section of the hanger by a retaining connector consisting of a pliable, yet rigid line. In use, after a shirt, blouse, sweater, or similar clothing is positioned on the outwardly extending members of a hanger, or pants are hung on the horizontal cross-member of a hanger, the gripping members are placed over the clothing, the openings of each gripping member surrounding the clothing and clothes supporting members of the hanger. The expandable, resiliently biased nature of the material allows each member to expand a sufficient amount to envelope both the clothing and the support members of the hanger. The clothing is retained on the hanger by the pressure exerted due to the resiliently biased nature of the gripping members and the friction between the clothing surfaces and the internal surfaces of the members. The retaining connector secured to each gripping member maintains the members on the hanger, independent of the clothes gripping process and keeps the members on the hanger even when the clothing is removed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] Maintaining clothes like shirts, blouses, sweaters, pants, andthe like, on hangers can often be difficult. Such clothing, especiallylightweight articles, when they are hung-up, have a tendency to slideand fall off hangers. Prior means to solve this problem have centeredaround the use of specially designed hangers, such as are shown in U.S.Pat. Nos. 3,733,016 and 5,839,629. However, these hangers are notdesigned to retain all types of clothing and, in many instances, are nottruly effective in retaining clothes in place, especially when thehangers are moved with the clothing placed thereon. The use ofmechanical clips on hangers is also common, as is typified in U.S. Pat.No. 5,241,728. However, these are more elaborate mechanisms which arenot truly adapted for use with hanging shirts, pants, or similarclothing. Significantly, such devices often require some dexterity andstrength in order to press and pivot the clips. This process may bedifficult for young children, seniors, or people with manualdisabilities.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0002] It is thus the object of the present invention to overcome thedisadvantages and limitations of prior hanger retaining devices.

[0003] It is the object of the present invention to provide a clotheshanger retaining device which is effective in maintaining shirts,blouses, sweaters, pants, and similar types of clothing on a hanger.

[0004] It is a further object of the present invention to provide aclothes hanger retaining device which will maintain clothing on thehanger, not only during stationary positioning of the hanger, but alsowhen the hanger, with clothing attached, is moved to another location.

[0005] It is still another object of the present invention to provide aclothes hanger retaining device which can be used on most commonhangers, regardless of hanger size.

[0006] It is a further object of the present invention to provide aclothes hanger retaining device which can be varied in size, dependingon the diameter of the arms of the hanger to be used.

[0007] It is another object of the present invention to provide aclothes hanger retaining device which is non-mechanical in nature anddoes not require excessive user manual dexterity or strength.

[0008] It is still another object of the present invention to provide aclothes hanger retaining device which can easily be used by youngchildren, senior citizens, or people with manual disabilities.

[0009] The present invention comprises two gripping members fabricatedout of flexible, expandable, resiliently biased material. Each grippingmember has a longitudinally extending opening therethrough. The grippingmembers are independently attached to the neck section of the hanger bya retaining connector consisting of a pliable, yet rigid line. In use,after a shirt, blouse, sweater, or similar clothing is positioned on theoutwardly extending members of a hanger, or pants are hung on thehorizontal cross-member of a hanger, the gripping members are placedover the clothing, the openings of each gripping member surrounding theclothing and clothes supporting members of the hanger. The expandable,resiliently biased nature of the material allows each member to expand asufficient amount to envelope both the clothing and the support membersof the hanger. The clothing is retained on the hanger by the pressureexerted due to the resiliently biased nature of the gripping members andthe friction between the clothing surfaces and the internal surfaces ofthe members. The retaining connector secured to each gripping membermaintains the members on the hanger, independent of the clothes grippingprocess and keeps the members on the hanger even when the clothing isremoved.

[0010] The novel features which are considered as characteristic of theinvention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. Theclothes hanger retaining device itself, however, both as to its design,construction, and use, together with additional features and advantagesthereof, are best understood upon review of the following detaileddescription with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011]FIG. 1 is a view of the hanger retaining device of the presentinvention mounted on a typical hanger.

[0012]FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken from FIG. 1.

[0013]FIG. 3 is a bottom view taken from FIG. 1.

[0014]FIG. 4 is a view of a shirt mounted on a hanger and retainedthereon by the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Clothes hanger retaining device 1 comprises clothes grippingmembers 2 and 4, shown herein as being cylindrical in shape. This shapeis only one example of a configuration which can be used. The actualexternal shape of members 2 and 4 is not significant. For instance, theycan have flat exterior sides and form any geometric shape of choice.Members 2 and 4 are fabricated of flexible, resiliently biased material,which is expandable in nature, similar to the material used inpolyethylene type products common to some types of pipe insulation andformed box packing. The invention is not to be considered restricted bythe type of material to be used. It is the resiliently biased, flexible,expandable characteristics of the applicable material which issignificant to the invention.

[0016] Members 2 and 4 each comprise longitudinally extending openings6. Opening 6 has a diameter which is larger than the diameter of hangersin common use today. Rigidly flexible, wire-like retaining connector 10is attached at one end 12 to member 2 and at its other end 14 to member4. Connector 10 may be a pipe cleaner type wire connection or any rigid,yet pliable line. Connector 10 is advantageously wrapped around necksection 18 of hanger 16.

[0017] In use, on a shirt or similar article of clothing 30, theclothing is hung on outwardly extending clothes supporting members 20and 22 of hanger 16, members 2 and 4 are placed over the shirt, bypositioning the members over the arms and simply pressing down on themembers. Openings 6 in members 2 and 4 accept shirt 30 and hangermembers 20 and 22, enveloping them at these locations. Shirt 30 isthereby maintained on hanger 16 by the pressure exerted by theresiliently biased nature of the material of members 2 and 4 and thefriction between the surfaces of the shirt and internal surfaces ofopening 6 and longitudinal surfaces 3 and 5 of members 2 and 4. Members2 and 4 are simply and easily removed from the clothes retainingposition by pulling them gently upwards. It can be appreciated thatmembers 2 and 4 can similarly be used to secure pants hung orcross-member 24 of hanger 16.

[0018] By the subject invention, clothing can be easily retained andremoved with little effort or difficulty by anyone, including youngchildren, senior citizens, and individuals with lesser manual strengthor with manual handicaps. When not in use, connector 10 maintainsretaining device 1 on hanger 16 independently of the use of members 2and 4 on clothes supporting members 20, 22, and 24 of the hanger.

[0019] Certain novel features and components of this invention aredisclosed in detail in order to make the invention clear in at least oneform thereof. However, it is to be clearly understood that the inventionas disclosed is not necessarily limited to the exact form and details asdisclosed, since it is apparent that various modifications and changesmay be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:
 1. A hanging clothing retaining device for use with a hangerwith clothes supporting members and a neck section, said devicecomprising: (a) resiliently biased, non-mechanical retaining means formaintaining clothing on a supporting member of the hanger, saidretaining means being configured to biasly envelop a portion of thesupporting member and the clothing positioned on the clothing member,thus retaining the clothing thereon; and (b) means extending from theretaining means for separately connecting the retaining means to thehanger.
 2. The device as in claim 1 wherein the retaining meanscomprises unitary, integrally formed gripping members.
 3. The device asin claim 2 wherein each gripping member comprises an internal,longitudinally extending opening which automatically varies in size to alarger diameter than the diameter of the supporting member of the hangerbeing used.
 4. The device as in claim 1 wherein the retaining meanscomprises internal opening means which automatically varies in size to alarger diameter than the diameter of the supporting member of the hangerbeing used.
 5. The device as in claim 1 wherein the means extending fromthe retaining means comprises rigidly flexible connection means whichattach the retaining means to the neck section of the hanger to maintainthe retaining means on the hanger independently of the supportingmembers.
 6. The device as in claim 1 wherein the retaining meanscomprises unitary members integrally formed of a flexible, resilientlybiased, expandable material.
 7. The device as in claim 4 wherein theretaining means comprises unitary members integrally formed of aflexible, resiliently biased, expandable material.
 8. The device as inclaim 5 wherein the retaining means comprises two unitary, integrallyformed gripping members.
 9. The devise as in claim 1 wherein the meansextending from the retaining means is comprised of a rigidly flexible,pliable wire material.
 10. The device as in claim 8 wherein the meansextending from the retaining means extends from one of the grippingmembers to the neck section of the hanger and then to the secondgripping member.
 11. A hanging clothing retaining device for use with ahanger with clothes supporting member and a neck section, said devicecomprising: (a) dual resiliently biased gripping members, each membercomprising an internal opening which automatically varies in size to alarger diameter than the diameter of the supporting member of the hangerbeing used, said openings extending longitudinally through the lengthsof each member; and (b) rigidly flexible connection means which attacheseach gripping member to the neck section of the hanger to maintain thegripping members on the hanger independently of the supporting member.12. The device as in claim 11 wherein the gripping members are unitary,integrally formed of a flexible, resiliently biased, expandablematerial.
 13. The device as in claim 11 wherein the connection means iscomprised of a rigidly flexible, pliable wire material.
 14. The deviceas in claim 11 wherein the connection means extends from one of thegripping members to the neck section of the hanger and then to thesecond gripping member.